5 Amazing Health Benefits of Sunflower Lecithin

Ever since we realized that we were steadily sending ourselves into an early grave by living extremely unhealthy lifestyles, we have been on a quest to change. This has brought about a wide variety of discoveries and fads, all of which have to do with either dieting, exercising or general healthy living.

From the Paleo diet fad to gluten-free recipes and even the 1,000 steps exercise regimen, we have continuously strived to lead better lives. One such discovery was Lecithin.

Lecithin is a term that is loosely used to describe fatty substances that have incredible health benefits. Originally isolated from egg yolk by Theodore Nicolas Gobley, lecithin naturally occurs in a wide variety of animals as well as plants. In the past few years, Lecithin has become quite popular especially with regard to helping us regulate our cholesterol levels as well as improving our circulatory and nervous system functions.

Our bodies naturally produce lecithin

Lecithin is also naturally produced by many major body organs such as the heart, kidneys and liver. It is a vital component of the cells in our bodies in that it helps to prevent the hardening of cell membrane thus allowing them to remain healthy.

Aside from this, Lecithin has quite many other valuable health benefits that could prove essential to our quality of life. There’s evidence that it can help restore liver health, improve cognitive functions such as learning and memory, it can also reverse the somewhat damaging and detrimental effects of alcohol abuse.

Even though Lecithin is naturally produced within our major body organs, to boost your levels thus giving yourself a better chance to reap the health benefits that come with it, you may need to take some supplements. Sunflower Lecithin has been lauded as one of the most popular and useful formulations available today. Here are 5 surprising Sunflower Lecithin benefits.

1. It does wonders for your brain health

Sunflower Lecithin is one of those things that can do wonders for your cognitive and neurological health. Even though it might be pretty difficult to pronounce or even memorize the kind of phospholipids present in this formulation, it is these essential phospholipids (Phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and Phosphatidylcholine) that give Sunflower Lecithin its amazing brain boosting capabilities.

These phospholipids are essential ingredients that are utilized by the body to produce, strengthen and repair brain cells as well as nerve cells. There is also a possibility that Sunflower Lecithin can help with some degenerative brain conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia.

2. It is a powerful antioxidant

Antioxidants are essential to our health as they help prevent cellular damage that could come about due to oxidative stress. This damage, if not checked, could lead to a host of detrimental conditions such as the formation of cancers, heart disease and as well as premature ageing (both externally and internally).

Although there are a lot of antioxidant sources in the diets of those who care to eat healthily, very few of those sources can compare to Sunflower Lecithin. Thanks to the phospholipid ‘phosphatidylcholine’, Sunflower Lecithin has one of the strongest antioxidants known to man.

3. It helps regulate your blood pressure

Sunflower Lecithin contains linoleic acid that breaks down the excess fat such as triglycerides and cholesterol that tends to accumulate in our bodies. Without this ‘breaking down’ action, the accumulation levels of these fats tend to get elevated, and the sad fact is that most of this accumulation happens within our arteries (on the arterial walls). This causes a condition referred to as arteriosclerosis, which is the thickening of the arteries that lead to high blood pressure, stroke and ultimately heart attacks.

4. It helps to manage arthritis

Sunflower Lecithin acts as an excellent lubricant for the various joints that can be found throughout your body. For those who have arthritis, this can be lead to exceptional relief and some long-lasting positive impact. For these people, it is crucial to take Sunflower Lecithin supplements mostly because a deficiency in this can lead to the stiffening of joints and rheumatism in the long run. Supplementing your diet with Lecithin can help you prevent early onset of arthritis/ joint disease as well as ease already existing conditions.

5. It can help your wounds to heal faster

This is particularly important for those of us who happen to live active lives. Every now and again, you are going to injure yourself. You don’t even have to live an active life; injuries can occur at any given time and in any given situation.

Maybe you are in the kitchen slicing some tomatoes to make your favorite salad, or maybe you want to eat an apple, and you cut yourself. As slight as this injury may seem, if it festers, it could lead to bigger issues that may even lead to amputation on the extreme end of the spectrum.

The linoleic acid, as well as other fatty acids found in Sunflower Lecithin, can help speed up the release of inflammatory transmitters or cytokines to the injured areas of the body. Alternatively, you can apply the Lecithin directly to the wound for immediate relief and effect.

One of the main reasons as to why Sunflower Lecithin is widely prevalent in contrast to other sources such as Soy Lecithin is because it is free or phytoestrogens that are commonly found in Soy Lecithin.

These phytoestrogens can cause a variety of complications in both sexes including various metabolic issues, weight gain, sexual dysfunction, breast growth and early onset of menopause. To the extreme end of things, it can cause autoimmune disorder to the thyroid and adrenal glands. It is safe to say that Sunflower Lecithin is by far one of the most popular as well as healthy formulations.

Consumption recommendations

To get the most out of the Sunflower Lecithin, you are advised to take a minimum of 600mg every day if you are male and 500mg if you are female. There are, however, no negative effects of taking much more than this on a daily basis. In fact, you are advised to consume as much as of it as you can to enjoy some much needed short term and long term health benefits. To maximize the number of benefits you can get from your Lecithin, it is advisable for both sexes to take as much as 1200mg every single day.